The Men and Demons of Ambitions
by Heimdallr Witness of Ragnarok
Summary: A war for survival is fought as an evil Deity named Erebus makes a claim for Moraban. Rated M for Strong Language and Violence.
1. Chapter I - The End of an Era

Chapter I _  
The End of an Era_

Suddenly the tower shuddered, multiple explosions in rapid succession were wearing the stone structure down fast. At this pace the building would collapse. Through the large gaping holes the explosions caused, troops could be seen below locked in combat. Neither side was willing to give an inch: they would die first. There was so much death already, and only for this small castle town, the last bastion of hope for the Kurosawa Empire. It would be the final stand. They couldn't take Goldar for that would be a blow from which there would be no recovery.

Down below in the thick of battle fights a man named Rex, his tan skin covered in scars that vouch for his skill in battle. He was deep in battle with some obviously green recruits. The veteran warrior spun on a drake and thrust his sword through the iron chestplate of the man in front of him, then lifted the poor bloke and threw him off the sword with a mighty swing. The impaled man flew swiftly through the air and crashed into one of his comrades with a large metal clang. Their other friend started to run, which made Rex laugh sadistically. He broke into a rage filled spring, jumped off a nearby cannon and flipped through the air. The soldier ran under him, unaware of his current dilemma.

As gravity took charge of his body, he grabbed his foe's chin and neck. He then gave his body on final twist, allowing him to snap the boy's neck, killing the soldier instantly. Rex allowed himself a moment's respite as he checked the battlefield. Something was missing, but he couldn't place it... Wait, the dragon and the Emperor!

* * *

Atsuzuri ran across the roof, hoping to buy enough time for his friends to escape. He desired to manage to give them at least a few seconds. The Citadel of Blood was slowly coming into his destination in sight, he recklessly started to sprint; however, as he picked up speed, the roof in front of him suddenly erupted into dragonfire. "Of all the damned Infernal they could summon, I get their dragon?! ...Assholes." The man attempted to stop himself from sliding off the edge; the fall would kill him. As he felt himself slowing down, he breathed a sigh of relief. ...Then he heard the wings flap behind him. He heard it's titanic wings flapping behind him and started to panic. He desperately tried to think of a plan, and then it beast rammed him off the roof. He narrowly missed grabbing the edge and found gravity. His heart stopped for a moment as he realized what was happening. Atsuzuri let out a fearful scream. As he fell, he tried to grab onto a clothesline below him, but it snapped on impact. The last thing he saw as he plummeted towards the ground was the beast flying toward the Citadel—toward the very place he told his friends to flee. And then he saw no more.

* * *

"In the end you've got two things that belong to you: your Humanity, or lack thereof. Jarus claims you're born in your class and nothing will change that. Regardless of what you choose to believe, nothing is the same and everything is dying." - Goldarion Steel-Fist  
There was an age before this chaos, of peace and harmony, pride and prosperity: the Age of Eobrydan. But of course, with all light comes a darkness. The other nations were taken by surprise when Erebus invaded them all simultaneously, and after long Kurosawa fell into the control of Erebus and his Dark Hands. Erebus, with the surrounding lands under his control, decided to capture the largest and last piece of Moraban: the Tacitus Empire.


	2. Chapter II - The Sight of a Spy

Chapter II

 _The Sight of a Spy_

He dropped in through a nearby window on the second floor of the Fighter's Flagon. The name always made him laugh. A cursory evaluation of the room caught nothing of concern in the room. Hajime Izawa felt as though he were a god of stealth, as if he casted a shadow on the very darkness that hid him. He noticed his new outfit in the mirror and let vanity take him for a moment as he looked at his black robes. The blue trim along the edges and hood were his favorite part, it covered his head but left his slanted blue eyes uncovered. The outfit did a great job of hiding his tan skin and black hair and the stubble that remained of his beard.

He heard a door open and rushed to the railing that allowed the best view of the lower floor, moving at one with the shadows: quick, silent, and most of all, deadly.

A young woman waltzed in, was she the owner perhaps? She set the fireplace alight and sat at one of the nearby wooden tables that were strewn about the establishment. She pulled out a large gold coin and started flipping it as she kicked up her legs. It seemed as though she was waiting for someone. Hajime took this chance to move up to the rafters. A good move, because after he reached them, the door next to the window he entered exploded open and a young man with olive skin ran through the room and expertly vaulted over the ledge.

"You're late, Eran," the woman stated.

"Do you realize what's goin' on out there?!" he half-yelled. He was breathing heavily.

"More damned?" she asked hesitantly. She reached for her sword almost instinctively.

"Arguably worse—another push from Erebus' Forces. That's twelve in three weeks, he's overly aggressive. These attacks are so frequent that we've barely repaired by the time the next waves upon us," he explained as he slammed his fist onto the table..

"By the goddess ... Has 'Steel-Fist' arrived yet?" inquired the woman. "I mean given what you just said, he's the army's only hope at this point. They have us outnumbered six to one. Steel-Fist's forces are needed to hold the city..." she stated tactfully.

"Yeah, I, of all people, realize that..." Eran muttered morosely.

"Danielson was torn apart by Wolfė, y'know." She paused. "And Kyi's in the goddamn Medic Lab with a shattered skull, she may not even make it out."Fueled by anger, she slammed her fist down on the table. Hajime deduced that the woman very highly valued companionship.

She eyed him warily, Eran never bothered asking for favors normally."You want something, don't you...?" she inquired.

"Elle's son," he stated.

"No, out of the question."

"Why. Not. Anna?" he demanded as his face darkened with anger. "We're cornered, and lucky Erebus hasn't smashed through our defenses." He swung his arms wildly. "We're dead in the water without some form of actual help!"

"Your leader is the one who outlawed our services and executed _her_." she retorted. "You want our magicks, Eran? Fine. But don't you dare ask for _his_."  
As soon as she said that, Hajime figured it was time to reveal himself and leaped down from the rafters and onto the table between the two. They were so startled that they spilled out of their chairs as drew their weapons. Seeing their aggression he thought it best for a demonstration of skill. He threw his body into the air and kicked Eran in the shoulders with both feet, throwing him back onto the ground. Anna swung her sword in a wide, vertical slashing motion. She was good — she swung precisely where she wanted to cut, none of that pre-swing bullshit —but Hajime was too quick and rolled to the side. She tried to chase him with her sword, but she quickly realized her folly as the blade struck the table and was jammed in the wood. The woman became aware of her issue and yanked hard on the blade, freeing it, but throwing her balance off. The shinobi took advantage of this. He spun and slid his heel against the floor which collided with her ankles and took her off her feet.

"Ah, so much fun!" he exclaimed. " _You_ have potential…"  
Eran charged at the shinobi, grabbing the man around his waist from behind and slammed him chest first into the wall. The cadet punched his attacker in the head, forcing his face to the stone again and then grabbed him around the waist and proceeded to lift the main overhead.  
"Oh dear .." said the interloper as he was hoisted backwards.  
Eran stretched backwards and swung the man headfirst into the stone floor and Anna rushed over and kicked him in the teeth: Which hurt more than the suplex.  
Hajime realized that they'd matched him, even had him beat so he rolled onto his head and pushed himself off the floor with his hands. They started to continue towards him so he waved them off as he laughed.  
"You have exactly one minute to tell me who you are and why you shouldn't be charged with assault, breaking & entering, and espionage." Eran said, sinking back into his father's training.  
"Hajime Izawa, last of the Saito Army and the only person who knows how Erebus plans to take this city." he stated plainly. Hajime went to continue when a giant mass of fur and claws ripped through the wall behind them. Stones clattered against the floor, a beam of light shone down from the moon and graciously, gingerly, touched the floor and as the dust settled their aggressor could be seen clearly.

As it stretched itself upright and back onto two legs, Anna enchanted her blade. "Wolfė … What brings you to this part of town?" She asked warily.


End file.
